No bathroom breaks.

Ever have one of those days that start really early and don’t end until late at night. And when it finally ends, you realize that you never went to the bathroom all day and you look nothing like you pictured yourself from the morning.

I had one of those yesterday.

My son was sick all week. No he wasn’t the one that induced the “Strep” notice that apparently came home and sent a shiver through many households. It was some other elusive virus. Why do I say elusive? Because while my husband was traveling, my son woke up at 2 am with a blazing fever and stomach issues (I’ll spare you the details.) I finally got him to sleep and he woke up the next morning barking like a seal with croup. But by the time my husband’s plane landed at 2 pm, my son didn’t have so much as the hiccups. No fever. No cough. No upset stomach. So now it seems like I was totally making it up. Anyway, I digress.

So back to yesterday, I had worked late the night before and had to get up early to finish a few things. So at 5:00 am was clicking away at my computer. At 7:00 am I skipped over to the gym and snuck in a 30 min. battle with the Stairmaster. By 8:00 am I was on my way downtown for a series of meetings that lasted straight through the day until I picked up my son to bring him to his “Spring Sing” practice at Northbrook Junior High. I thought I would have an hour to sit and chippy with the other moms. Nope. The director of the school walked my hysterical child right back over to me and said, “Uh, this isn’t working.” Okay, I marched him right back in and made him sit with me through the whole practice. So instead of talking to my mommy brigade, I was listening to 4 year-olds tell me about their lunches that day.

I was now holding my 45 lb. son while he cried hysterically over NOTHING. Yes, nothing. Good thing I work out so much cuz that practice was exactly an hour. We walked out of the gymnasium and my son made a miraculous recovery. Again, he was fine. My husband would never believe me that anything had happened. We drove home with him asking his 10K questions happy as a clam. I was so looking forward to getting in my pajamas, putting the kids to bed and watching the season finale of my shows. No such luck.

When I walked in the door, my daughter came running over to me. “Mommy!” I scooped her up and gave her a huge hug and kissed her forehead. Uh, oh. Kissed it again. And again. Yup. There is was. Just waiting for me. A fever. I stripped her down. Begged her to take Tylenol (unsuccessfully) and crossed my fingers that she’d be okay through the night. At 8:30 pm I finally got both kids in bed and walked into the bathroom for the first time since 7:30 am that morning. Even the mirror shuddered. Next time I have a long day, someone please remind me not to wear eyeliner.